The Trans Rights Readathon is a reading event we look forward to every year, but it’s especially important this year. As I’m sure you know, the rights and lives of trans folks are under focused attack in the United States right now, on both a federal and a local level.

To say I’m not a fan of AI would be a gross understatement. (“Hate with the fire of a thousand suns” is perhaps closer.)

For the sake of clarity, I’ll narrow it to using AI to write stories. For the sake of brevity, I will also leave out the ethical and environmental issues involved with its use.

STIs in Indie Romance

We started thinking more seriously about the representation (or lack thereof) of folks with STIs in romance novels after Editor Maria read After the Shut Up Ring by Cate C. Wells in June of 2024. It really started to feel like a gaping hole in the fabric of romance when we talked and thought more about how important it is for ALL different kinds of people to see themselves reflected in romance novels.

Last month, I wrote about all of the reasons that your story matters.  Now I’d like to take some time to talk about how and why your book matters in more, and sometimes different, ways.

There are many stereotypes about self-published authors and one of the most insidious ones is that self-published authors just aren’t good enough or rigorous enough for traditional publishing.  You and I know that this couldn’t be farther from the truth. 

Do you feel guilty when you get swept away in a good book instead of working on your own?

Does it feel self-indulgent to step away from revisions or editing to read a new release or take comfort in an old favorite?

We are here to tell you that reading books is an overlooked way to build good writing craft. Here are six reasons you shouldn’t feel guilty about reading instead of writing.

When I say that I’m an editor, most people assume I spend my days focused on spelling, grammar, and punctuation. They think of sentence diagramming, confusing homophones, or the oxford comma. And that’s all partly right, but editing includes much more than that.

If you are serious about successfully self-publishing romance novels and making money as an author, you need to invest in developmental editing.